Bushnell Scout Laser Rangefinder Review
Before reading any further, please note that my review is primarily targeted towards GOLFERS looking to purchase this product.
With that said, let’s begin.
I’ve been using a GolfLogix GPS device for my golf distance checking for the past 1 1/2 years. However, after one of my golf buddies, picked up a rangefinder… I found that it was more effective than using the GolfLogix GPS in many ways. I ended up looking at a few models but ended up settling with this Bushnell Scout 1000… primarily for its attractive price compared to the other models out there. It supposedly is the same model as Bushnell’s Tour V2 Pinseeker Rangefinder — which costs considerably more — but is marketed towards golfers (whereas this Scout model is marketed towards hunting).
Using this thing is a piece of cake. You simply turn it on, look through the viewfinder, aim it so that the flag (not the flag-stick — it’s too narrow) is in the middle of the circular view, then press down on the top button for about 2 seconds. You’ll see the yardage to the flag right there on the screen. Because golf courses tend to frequently change the location of the hole, this is one of the reasons I find this thing more useful than my golf GPS (the golf GPS will give you the distance to the middle, front, and back of the green… not to the actual hole).
Of course, you don’t have to aim it at the flag… you can aim it at pretty much anything if you want to know the distance to it. What’s the distance to the water? bunker? dog-leg? group in front of you? Just aim and click to find out!
Another way I use this thing is to determine how long I drove the ball. After you hit that nice long drive, why not find out how far you hit it? Just walk to where your ball is and aim the Bushnell Scout back to the tee marker which you teed-off from.
And yet another advantage this rangefinder has over a GPS unit is that it can give you distances at the driving range!!! Get the REAL distance of the targets you’re aiming for at the range! Try that with a GPS unit (it could work if you tell everyone on the range to stop hitting the ball so you could walk your GPS unit to your target points).
The one caveat I do have abot this rangefinder is that it doesn’t work too well if the flag is further than about 225 yards — it always seems to give you back the yardage of the trees/hills in the background — no matter which of the three targeting modes you use. My work around for getting distances longer than this is I aim at someone from the group in front of me when they’re on the green. If there’s nobody on the green in front of you, then aim it at the green itself or some other big target that’s the same distance away as the flag.
I’m giving this item 4.5 stars (1/2 pt deduction since it’s really difficult to get the distance for flags >225 yards) for value and accuracy (but since Amazon doesn’t provide a means of rating half-stars, I’m putting it at 4. You really can’t go wrong with the Bushnell Scout Laser Rangefinder if you’re deciding between this and a golf GPS device. At about the same price as a lower-priced golf GPS unit, you’re better off going with this rangefinder since you’ll be able to get distances for just about anything on the course.
Bushnell Scout Laser Rangefinder Feature
- Compact 6x magnification rangefinder in weather-resistant black body
- Superb range performance to targets up to 700 yards away
- Rain targeting mode compensates for precipitation; Zip mode compensates for brush and branches
- Weighs just 6.8 ounces
- Powered by 3-volt battery; includes case and strap
Bushnell Scout Laser Rangefinder Overview
NINE OF 10 TROPHIES POSTHUMOUSLY AGREE, THERE OUGHTA BE A LAW. If there’s an ordinace against packing so much cutting edge technology into such a small space, looks like we’re the only ones who havne’t heard. The Scout 1000 is the ultimate pocket-sized rangefinder, spitting out exact distances from five to 1,000 yards with the push of a single button. Lethal +/-1-yard acuracy from 5 to 1,000 yeards, twith selective targeting modes and a rugged, weather-resistant housing. still legal in all 50 states, no matter what Mr. Whitetail says.
Bushnell Scout Laser Rangefinder Specifications
Weighing in at just 6.8 ounces, the Bushnell Scout is the smallest, most compact laser rangefinder of its kind. Advanced laser technology delivers superb range performance to targets up to 700 yards away. A short, 10-yard minimum distance makes it the ideal tool for bow hunters. It also features an adjustable 6x eyepiece, accuracy to ±1 yard, and built-in Rain, Zip, SCAN and reflector modes. It’s powered by a 3-volt lithium battery (included).
Targeting Modes
- SCAN: Allows you to pan across the landscape while viewing a continuously updated LCD display of the distances between you and the targets you scan.
- Rain: Compensates for precipitation to guarantee an accurate distance measurement through rain or snow.
- Reflector: Increases the maximum measurement range for most highly reflective objects.
- Zip: Allows you to accurately measure longer ranges (beyond 150 yards) when looking through foreground clutter like brush or branches.
Specifications
- Magnification: 6x
- Objective lens: 23mm
- Weight: 6.8 ounces
- Dimensions: 1.5 x 4 x 2.75 inches
Range
- Reflective: 700 yards
- Tree: 570 yards
- Deer: 300 yards
- Flag: 250 yards
- Accuracy: ± 1 yard
How a Laser Rangefinder Works
Bushnell’s Yardage Pro rangefinders use an invisible, eye-safe Class 1 Laser beam (as classified by the FDA) which is “bounced” off distant objects with the press of a button. Then, the rangefinder’s high-speed digital clock measures the time it took for a laser beam to reach a target and return to the unit. Next, using advanced digital electronics, the rangefinder instantly calculates the distance within ±1 yard and shows the range in either yards or meters on a through-the-lens LCD Display. The entire process is so fast that less than a second elapses between the time you press the button to generate a laser beam to the time the exact range to your target is displayed.
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Customer Reviews
Wow! This thing works great for golf! – Gregg Rueschhoff – Omaha, NE USA
I wanted a range finder for golf. I read the reviews for several different models. It appeared to me you don’t need a model made specifically for golf – which generally costs significantly more than the the Bushnell Scout 1000. When we received the rangefinder, my son and I were anxious to try it out. We drove to a local golf course parking lot. The course has the flag sticks with the reflective mirrors. We used the target mode on a few holes we could see from the parking lot and very easily targeted in on flagsticks that were up to 500 yards away! We tried this from several different locations in the parking lot and all targeting was quick and easy and the distance were logical from the distance from the different spots from which we took our readings.
Today we golfed on a different course with GPS in the carts and the flagsticks again had the reflective mirrors. The Bushnell Scout 1000 found all the flags we shot at flawlessly and the yardage was always within a 1 or 2 yards of the GPS on the cart. I will admit that the reflective flag sticks are probably why we could zone in on the yardage so quickly and easily for the very distant flag sticks.
We did shoot lots of other objects (sand traps, other golfers, trees, other golfing landmarks on the course) and easily got readings in target mode. Many of the landmark distances are noted on the GPS in the cart and the Bushnell Scout 1000 was always within a yard or two from the cart GPS.
We are very happy with our purchase and would recommend to anyone wishing to use this for golf. I wouldn’t worry that it’s not marketed specifically for golf.
Good for the price – R. Mittenthal – Cornville, AZ, USA
Easy to handle and use. The limitation is for targets on the golf course over 175 yards where their is a dominant background behind a dark-colored flag, making it very difficult to pick up the pin distance instead of the distance to the background objects. Otherwise, the device does well where the target object is well defined or light colored, e.g., edge of a sand trap, tree-line, rock outcropping, and there is no dominant background
Very Adequate for my Needs – Charles L. Hudlow – East Texas
I purchased this laser rangefinder for use on the golf course, even though it’s not advertised as a golfing rangefinder. The price was right, however, so I decided to try it as intended. I wasn’t disappointed. I’m not sure what the differences are between this one and the more expensive models, but I didn’t need the ’slope’ advantage (not the way I play). It’s touchy to get a reading from the flagstick from a long distance, but within 200 yards, it works fine.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 23, 2010 23:30:04
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